The word
"religion" has a broader meaning than the word "morality".
Morality has to do with behavior and happiness, and is basically
the same the world over. A religion is a system of practice
of a high order. The ways of practice advocated by the various
religions differ greatly.

Morality
made us good people, behaving in accordance with the general
principles of community life and in such a way as to cause no
distress to ourselves or others. But though a person may be
thoroughly moral, he may still be far from free of the suffering
attendant on birth, ageing, pain and death, still not free from
oppression by the mental defilements. Morality stops well short
of the elimination of craving, aversion and delusion, so cannot
do away with suffering. Religion, particularly Buddhism, goes
much further than this. It aims directly at the complete elimination
of the defilements, that is, it aims at extinguishing the various
kinds of suffering attendant on birth, ageing, pain and death.
This indicates how religion differs from mere morality, and
how much further Buddhism goes than the moral systems of the
world in general. Having understood this, we can now turn our
attention to Buddhism itself.

Buddhism
is a system designed to bring a technical knowledge inseparable
from its technique of practice, an organized practical understanding
of the true nature of things or what is what. If you keep this
definition in mind, you should have no difficulty understanding
Buddhism.

Examine
yourself and see whether or not you know what is what. Even
if you know what you are yourself, what life is, what work,
duty, livelihood, money, possessions, honour and fame are, would
you dare to claim that you know everything? If we really knew
what is what, we would never act inappropriately; and if we
always acted appropriately, it is a certainty that we would
never be subject to suffering. As it is, we are ignorant of
the true nature of things, so we behave more or less inappropriately,
and suffering results accordingly. Buddhist practice is designed
to teach us how things really are. To know this in all clarity
is to attain the Fruit of the Path, perhaps even the final Fruit,
Nirvana, because this very knowledge is what destroys the defilements.
When we come to know what is what, or the true nature of things,
disenchantment with things takes the place of fascination, and
deliverance from suffering comes about automatically.

At the moment,
we are practising at a stage where we still do not know what
things are really like, in particular, at the stage of not yet
realizing that all things are impermanent and not selves. We
don't as yet realize that life, all the things that we become
infatuated with, like, desire and rejoice over, is impermanent,
unsatisfactory and not self. It is for this reason that we become
infatuated with those things, liking them, desiring them, rejoicing
over them, grasping at them and clinging to them. When, by following
the Buddhist method, we come to know things aright, to see clearly
that they are all impermanent, unsatisfactory and not selves,
that there is really nothing about things that might make it
worth attaching our selves to them, then there will immediately
come about a slipping free from the controlling power of those
things.

Essentially
the Buddha's teaching as we have it in the Tipitaka is nothing
but the knowledge of what is what or the true nature of things
 just that. Do keep to this definition. It is an adequate
one and it is well to bear it in mind while one is in the course
of practising We shall now demonstrate the validity of this
definition by considering as an example the Four Noble Truths.
The First Noble Truth, which points out that all things are
suffering, tells us precisely what things are like. But we fail
to realize that all things are a source of suffering and so
we desire those things. If we recognized them as a source of
suffering, not worth desiring, not worth grasping at and clinging
to, not worth attaching ourselves to, we would be sure not to
desire them. The Second Noble Truth points out that desire is
the cause of suffering. People still don't know, don't see,
don't understand, that desires are the cause of suffering. They
all desire this, that and the other, simply because they don't
understand the nature of desire. The Third Noble Truth points
out that deliverance, freedom from suffering, Nirvana, consists
in the complete extinguishing of desire. People don't realize
at all that nirvana is something that may be attained at any
time or place, that it can be arrived at just as soon as desire
has been completely extinguished. So, not knowing the facts
of life, people are not interested in extinguishing desire.
They are not interested in nirvana because they don't know what
it is.

The Fourth
Noble Truth is called the Path and constitutes the method for
extinguishing desire. No one understands it as a method for
extinguishing desire. No one is interested in the desire extinguishing
Noble Eightfold Path. People don't recognize it as their very
point of support, their foothold, something which they ought
to be most actively reinforcing. They are not interested in
the Buddha's Noble Path, which happens to be the most excellent
and precious things in the entire mass of human knowledge, in
this world or any other. This is a most horrifying piece of
ignorance. We can see, then, that the Four Noble Truths are
information telling us clearly just what is what. We are told
that if we play with desire, it will give rise to suffering,
and yet we insist on playing with it until we are brim full
of suffering. This is foolishness. Not really knowing what is
what or the true nature of things, we act in every way inappropriately.
Our actions are appropriate all too rarely. They are usually
"appropriate" only in terms of the values of people
subject to craving, who would say that if one gets what one
wants, the action must have been justified. But spiritually
speaking, that action is unjustifiable. Now we shall have a
look at a stanza from the texts which sums up the essence of
Buddhism, namely the words spoken by the bhikkhu Assaji when
he met Sariputta before the latter's ordination. Sariputta asked
to be told the essence of Buddhism in as few words as possible.
Assaji answered: "All phenomena that arise do so as a result
of causes. The Perfected One has shown what the causes are,
and also how all phenomena may be brought to an end by eliminating
those causes. This is what the Great Master teaches." He
said in effect: Every thing has causes that combine to produce
it. It cannot be eliminated unless those causes have been eliminated
first. This is a word of guidance warning us not to regard anything
as a permanent self. There is nothing permanent. There are only
effects arising out of causes, developing by virtue of causes,
and due to cease with the cessation of those causes. All phenomena
are merely products of causes. The world is just a perpetual
flux of natural forces incessantly interacting and changing.
Buddhism points out to us that all things are devoid of any
self entity. They are just a perpetual flux of change, which
is inherently unsatisfactory because of the lack of freedom,
the subjection to causality.

This unsatisfactoriness
will be brought to an end as soon as the process stops; and
the process will stop as soon as the causes are eliminated so
that there is no more interacting. This is a most profound account
of "what is what" or the nature of things, such as
only an enlightened individual could give. It is the heart of
Buddhism. It tells us that all things are just appearances and
that we should not be fooled into liking or disliking them.
Rendering the mind truly free involves escaping completely from
the causal chain by utterly eliminating the causes. In this
way, the unsatisfactory condition which results from liking
and disliking will be brought to an end. Let us now examine
the Buddha's intention in becoming an ascetic. What motivated
him to become a bhikkhu? This is clearly indicated in one of
his discourses, in which he says that he left home and became
a bhikkhu in order to answer the question: "What is the
Good?" The word "good" (Kusala), as used here
by the Buddha, refers to skilfulness, to absolutely right knowledge.
He wanted to know in particular what is suffering, what is the
cause of suffering, what is freedom from suffering, and what
is the method that will lead to freedom from suffering. To attain
perfect and right knowledge is the ultimate in skill. The aim
of Buddhism is nothing other this perfection of knowledge of
what is what or the true nature of things. Another important
Buddhist teaching is that of the Three Characteristics, namely
impermanence (anicca), unsatisfactoriness or suffering (dukkha)
and non - selfhood (anatta). Not to know this teaching is not
to know Buddhism. It points out to us that all things are impermanent
(anicca), all things are unsatisfactory (dukkha), and all things
are not selves (anatta).

In saying
that all things are impermanent we mean that things change perpetually,
there being no entity or self remains unchanged for even an
instant. That all things are unsatisfactory means that all things
have inherent in them the property of conducing to suffering
and torment. They are inherently unlikable and disenchanting.
That they are not selves is to say that in no thing whatsoever
is there any entity which we might have a right to regard as
its "self" or to call "mine." If we grasp
at things and cling to things, the result is bound to be suffering.
Things are more dangerous than fire because we can at least
see a fire blazing away and so don't go too close to it, whereas
all things are a fire we can't see. Consequently we go about
voluntarily picking up handfuls of fire which is invariably
painful. This teaching tells us what things are like in terms
of the Three Characteristics. Clearly Buddhism is simply an
organized practical system designed to show what is what.

We have
seen that we have to know the nature of things. We also have
to know how to practice in order to fit in with the nature of
things. There is another teaching in the texts, known as the
Chief of all Teachings. It consists of three brief points: "Avoid
evil, do good, purify the mind!" This is the principle
of the practice. Knowing all things as impermanent, worthless
and not our property, and so not worth clinging to, not worth
becoming infatuated with, we have to act appropriately and cautiously
with respect to them, and that is to avoid evil. It implies
not to break with accepted moral standards and to give up excessive
craving and attachment. On the other hand, one is to do good,
good as has come to be understood by wise people. These two
are simply stages in morality. The third, which tells us to
make the mind completely pure of every kind of contaminating
element, is straight Buddhism. It tells us to make the mind
free. As long as the mind is not yet free from domination by
things, it cannot be a clean, pure mind. Mental freedom must
come from the most profound knowledge of the what is what. As
long as one lacks this knowledge, one is bound to go on mindlessly
liking or disliking things in one way or another. As long as
one cannot remain unmoved by things, one can hardly be called
free. Basically we human beings are subject to just two kinds
of emotional states: liking and disliking (which correspond
to pleasant and unpleasant mental feeling). We fall slaves to
our moods and have no real freedom simply because we don't know
the true nature of moods or what is what. Liking has the characteristic
of seizing on things and taking them over; disliking has the
characteristic of pushing things away and getting rid of them.
As long as these two kinds of emotional states exist, the mind
is not yet free. As long as it is still carelessly liking and
disliking this, that the other, there is no way it can be purified
and freed from the tyranny of things. For this very reason,
this highest teaching of Buddhism condemns grasping and clinging
to things attractive and repulsive, ultimately condemning even
attachment good and evil. When the mind has been purified of
these two emotional reactions, it will become independent of
things.

Other religions
would have us simply avoid evil and grasp at goodness. They
have us grasp at and become attached to goodness, even including
the epitome of goodness, namely God. Buddhism goes much further,
condemning attachment to anything at all. This attachment to
goodness is right practice at the intermediate level, but it
just can't take us to the high level no matter what we do. At
the lowest level we avoid evil, at the intermediate level we
do our utmost to do good, while at the highest level we make
the mind float high above the domination of both good and evil.
The condition of attachment to the fruits of goodness is not
yet complete liberation from suffering, because, while an evil
person suffers in a way befitting evil persons, a good person
suffers also, in a way befitting good persons. Being good, one
experiences the kind of suffering appropriate to good human
beings. A good celestial being experiences the suffering appropriate
to celestial beings, and even a god or Brahma experiences the
suffering appropriate to gods. But complete freedom from all
suffering will come only when one has broken free and transcended
even that which we call goodness to become an Aryian, one who
has transcended the worldly condition, and ultimately to become
a fully perfected individual, an Arahant.

Now as
we have seen, Buddhism is the teaching of the Buddha, the Enlightened
One, and a Buddhist is one who practices according to the teaching
of the Enlightened One. With regard to what was he enlightened?
He simply knew the nature of all things. Buddhism, then, is
the teaching that tells us the truth about what things are really
like or what is what. It is up to us to practice until we have
come to know that truth for ourselves. We may be sure that once
that perfect knowledge has been attained, craving will be completely
destroyed by it, because ignorance will cease to be in the very
same moment that knowledge arises. Every aspect of Buddhist
practice is designed to bring knowledge. Your whole purpose
in setting your mind on the way of practice that will penetrate
to Buddha-Dharma is simply to gain knowledge. Only, do let it
be right knowledge, knowledge attained through clear insight,
not worldly knowledge, partial knowledge, halfway knowledge,
which for example clumsily mistakes bad for good, and a source
of suffering for a source of happiness. Do try your utmost to
look at things in terms of suffering, and so come to know, gradually,
step by step. Knowledge so gained will be Buddhist knowledge
based on sound Buddhist principles. Studying by this method,
even a woodcutter without book learning will be able to penetrate
to the essence of Buddhism, while a religious scholar with several
degrees, who is completely absorbed in studying the Tipitaka
but doesn't look at things from this point of view, may not
penetrate the teaching at all. Those of us who have some intelligence
should be capable of investigating and examining things and
coming to know their true nature. Each thing we come across
we must study, in order to understand clearly its true nature.
And we must understand the nature and the source of the suffering
which produces, and which sets us alight and scorches us. To
establish mindfulness, to watch and wait, to examine in the
manner described the suffering that comes to one  this
is very best way to penetrate to Buddha-Dharma. It is infinitely
better than learning it from the Tipitaka. Busily studying Dharma
in the Tipitaka from the linguistic or literary viewpoint is
no way to come to know the true nature of things. Of course
the Tipitaka is full of explanations as to the nature of things;
but the trouble is that people listen to it in the manner of
parrots or talking myna birds, repeating later what they have
been able to memorize. They themselves are incapable of penetrating
to the true nature of things. If instead they would do some
introspection and discover for themselves the facts of mental
life, find out firsthand the properties of the mental defilements,
of suffering, of nature, in other words of all the things in
which they are involved, they would then be able to penetrate
to the real Buddha-Dharma.

Though a
person may never have seen or even heard of the Tipitaka, if
he carries out detailed investigation every time suffering arises
and scorches his mind he can be said to be studying the Tipitaka
directly, and far more correctly than people actually in the
process of reading it. These may be just caressing the books
of the Tipitaka everyday without having any knowledge of the
immortal Dharma, the teaching contained within them. Likewise,
we have ourselves, we make use of ourselves, we train ourselves,
and we do things connected with ourselves every day, without
knowing anything about ourselves, without being able to handle
adequately problems concerning ourselves. We are still very
definitely subject to suffering, and craving is still present
to produce more and more suffering every day as we grow older,
all simply because we don't know ourselves. We still don't know
the mental life we live. To get to know the Tipitaka and the
profound things hidden within it is most difficult. Let us rather
set about studying Buddha-Dharma by getting to know our own
true nature. Let us get to know all the things which make up
this very body and mind. Let us learn from this life: life which
is spinning on in the cycle of desiring, acting on the desires,
and reaping the results of the action, which then nourish the
will to desire again, and so on, over and over incessantly;
life which is obliged to go spinning on in the circle of samsara,
that sea of suffering, purely and simply because of ignorance
as to the true nature of things or what is what.

Summing
up, Buddhism is an organized practical system designed to reveal
to us the "what is what". Once we have seen things
as they really are, we no longer need anyone to teach or guide
us. We can carry on practising by ourselves. One progresses
along the Aryian Path just as rapidly as one eliminates the
defilements and gives up inappropriate action. Ultimately one
will attain to the best thing possible for a human being, what
we call the Fruit of the Path, Nirvana. This one can do by oneself
simply by means of coming to know the ultimate sense of the
"what is what".